Skips, as a syllable - NYT Crossword Clue

Introduction

Today's clue, "Skips, as a syllable," points us toward a specific term from the world of linguistics and poetry. It's a definition-style clue that requires a verb describing the act of omitting a sound or part of a word. While the concept is familiar to us in everyday speech, the formal term might not be on the tip of everyone's tongue, making it a classic "medium" difficulty crossword entry.

Clue Analysis

The clue is concise and direct. Let's break it down:

• "Skips": This is the action word. It means to omit, leave out, or pass over.
• "as a syllable": This provides the crucial context. We're not talking about skipping a stone or skipping a meeting; the object being skipped is a part of a word, specifically a syllable.

The clue is asking for the verb that means "to omit a sound or syllable in pronunciation." The answer will be in the third-person singular form, as suggested by the "-s" on "Skips."

Thinking Approaches

A solver might tackle this clue in a few ways:

1. Direct Knowledge: If you're familiar with literary or linguistic terms, the word for this action might come to mind immediately. The process is called elision, and the verb form is the answer.
2. Example-Based Reasoning: Think of examples where syllables are skipped. For instance, "chocolate" is often pronounced as "choc'late," or "vegetable" as "veg'table." What verb describes this process? You might think of words like omits, drops, or slurs, and then try to find a more formal synonym that fits the letter count and crossings.
3. Root Word Association: The Latin root laedere, meaning "to strike" or "to injure," is related. The prefix e- means "out." So, the word literally means "to strike out." This can be a helpful mnemonic if you're into etymology.
4. Using Crossings: This is often the most practical approach. If you have a few letters, say E_I_ES, the possibilities become much clearer. The "E" start and "ES" ending strongly suggest a verb, and "ELIDES" fits perfectly.

Background Context

The answer refers to the linguistic process of elision. Elision is the omission of sounds, syllables, or words in speech. This is done to make language easier to say, faster, or more fluid.

It's extremely common in everyday, informal speech. Think of contractions:

• I am -> I'm
• do not -> don't
• going to -> gonna

Elision is also a key tool in poetry and song lyrics, where it's used to make words fit a specific metrical or rhythmic pattern. A poet might write "o'er" for "over" or "th' eternal" for "the eternal" to remove a syllable and maintain the poem's meter. This practice is particularly common in classical and Renaissance poetry. The concept is related to other phonological processes like syncope (omitting a sound from the middle of a word) and apocope (from the end).

Conclusion

"Skips, as a syllable" is a well-crafted clue for the verb ELIDES. It's a term that bridges the gap between technical linguistics and the practical art of poetry. For crossword solvers, it's a valuable word to have in your vocabulary, as its friendly vowel-consonant structure makes it a favorite for puzzle constructors.

Hints

1. Hint 1: This verb describes omitting a sound or part of a word when speaking.
2. Hint 2: It's a common feature in poetry to maintain a certain rhythm or meter.
3. Hint 3: Think of contractions like "don't" or "I'm," where a letter or sound is dropped. This word describes that action.
4. Hint 4: The word is often used in linguistics and phonology.

The answer is ELIDES.